Reigning MotoGP champion Francesco ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia has offered a candid assessment of Marc Márquez’s shocking move to Gresini Ducati for the 2024 season. The Italian rider’s comments reveal a mix of respect for his opponent and future teammate and uncertainty about the potential impact on Ducati’s team dynamics.
Bagnaia didn’t mince words when discussing Ducati’s decision to bring Márquez into the fold, as he told MotoGP.com: ‘I think [Ducati] decided to change their strategy, which was to believe in young riders and give them the possibility to arrive to the factory team and took Marc that is the one with [the most] titles’.
Acknowledging Márquez’s formidable skills, Bagnaia predicted: ‘For sure [Marc] will be super competitive because already he’s super fast and next year he will have the top materials. Like more or less right now. But being in red for sure gives you more motivation to be at the top’.
However, Bagnaia didn’t shy away from addressing the potential pitfalls of this high-profile move:
– I think [it] could be super good or a disaster! So we will have to see next year when we start. Could be a disaster if in case we start to scream or we start to have some ‘discussions’‘. But I think we are both very smart and he will adapt perfectly.
One thing is certain: the addition of Marc Marquez to the Ducati lineup promises to make the 2025 MotoGP season one of the most anticipated in recent memory.